Delayed Dispatch Timing

If you have a trip that starts on a day we are not open you can pick up the keys for the vehicle at 5pm the business day before your trip starts. We call this a “delayed dispatch.” We have seen requests come through with a requested pick-up time of 4pm and sometimes even as early as 3pm with a note asking for a delayed dispatch. Most of the time these requests are not possible because the previous reservation is not scheduled to return until 3 or 4 pm. The official policy for a delayed dispatch is to request the pick-up at 5pm or later. You can check with us the afternoon of pick-up to see if it would be possible to get the keys earlier than 5pm. This is not something we can guarantee, and it will depend on vehicle availability, especially on a busy Friday.

Fleet Requisition – Tips and Tricks

If you have a question when filling out a requisition the answer might already be there for you. Throughout the new Fleet Services Requisition, you will see small, blue circles with a lower-case “i.” Clicking on the dot will give you more information about that section of the form and may answer your question. It might be a definition, explanations of possible entries, or information on why that particular field is required or important.

Low Tire? Fill it Up!

For every 10 degrees Fahrenheit that the temperature drops, your tire pressure can decrease by about 1 pound per square inch (PSI). With temps starting to drop overnight we are approaching low tire light season. If the tire pressure light is on, add a little air to bring the tire to the correct pressure and drive a few miles.  That should reset the light. There is an air hose available for customers to use at the SW corner of the CAMBUS barn. If the light comes on again in a couple of days, bring it in to the shop so we can check for a slow leak. Remember, the recommended tire PSI for a vehicle is on a sticker inside the driver’s door or in the owner’s manual not on the tire. The pressure printed on the side of the tire is range for that tire not a specific value for your vehicle.

Need a Reminder? We’ve Got You Covered

Sometimes customers forget to pick up a rental car they have reserved from us. The trip may have been cancelled, or the trip details may have changed, or the vehicle is not needed as scheduled but no one notified Fleet Services. If the vehicle reservation is not cancelled two hours or more before the scheduled pick-up time we will charge the department for one day. There are two handy ways to prevent a forgotten reservation.

• The first is to opt in for reminder emails. When filling out a requisition, click the box that says, “Opt to receive notification emails.” If you click this, an email is sent to all contacts & drivers at noon the day prior to the reservation. This email message will remind you that there is a reservation the next day and gives you plenty of time to cancel the reservation if you don’t need the vehicle.

• Another way is utilizing the Outlook calendar feature built into the new Fleet Services Requisition. To make the calendar entry, go to the Requisition home page and click on the “Upcoming Requisitions” tab at the top of the page. Find the appropriate reservation card and click on the “Download .ics File” at the bottom of the page. Open and click save to add a 30-minute appointment (at the scheduled pickup time) with the reservation details to your calendar.

E-10 or E-15, what is the right type?

We switched from E-10 (10% ethanol) fuel to E-15 (15% ethanol) at the on-campus fuel island in March and it is causing some slight confusion. If the key-tag for your vehicle says “Gas/E-10” for the fuel type, your vehicle is able to use E-15 fuel. So if your vehicle was using the blue fuel handle it still will even though the handle now says E15.

Fleet Factoid

Taking a quick pit stop before a long car trip has benefits beyond just your own personal comfort, it can actually decrease the chances of serious injury in the event of a car crash. If you don’t make that pit stop and get into a car accident, you’re actually at a greater risk to have more serious internal injuries. Check the full article from Jalopnik that explains why this is the case.